The Clippers' super sub wanted to play with teammates Blake Griffin and Chris Paul this Sunday in Houston during the All-Star Game.

Crawford's one of the most talkative players in the team's locker room, and no matter the question, he's willing to answer.

Except for this. This still hurts too much.

"I'm not ready yet," he said with a smile.

Instead of shaking and baking in Houston, Crawford said he'll head back home to Seattle to spend time with family and friends.

He'll also watch Eric Bledsoe on Saturday night in the dunk contest and Paul and Griffin on Sunday in the game.

But will it be harder to watch when Crawford feels like he deserves to be there?

"Yes," he said. "That, I can answer."

Crawford's put together one of the best stretches of his season over the past 10 days. In the five games before Wednesday, Crawford averaged 22.2 points on 53.7 percent shooting from the field – including 45.2 percent from three-point range.

Wednesday, Crawford kept it going, scoring 13 points in the Clippers' 106-96 victory over the Rockets.

Even more significant, this stretch has come immediately after Crawford broke his nose and injured his right shoulder against Toronto.

Crawford tried playing with a mask to protect his nose, but it was too uncomfortable. The bigger concern has been the injury to his shooting shoulder, which somehow hasn't slowed him down.

"It's feeling good, but it gets stiff on him a little bit," Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said. "You wouldn't know it the way he's shooting the ball. I'm hoping it stays stiff for a long time the way he's shooting it."

Crawford said he has always managed to play well hurt. In 2007 while with the Knicks, he scored 52 points against the Miami Heat while playing with a stress fracture in his ankle.

Billups, Butler back

After missing the Clippers' victory over Philadelphia, Chauncey Billups and Caron Butler returned from back injuries to start against Houston.

Butler left Sunday's game against New York at halftime because of lower-back stiffness, but he didn't show any adverse effects Wednesday. In the first quarter, Butler scored 17 points while making all three of his 3-point shots.

Billups was nearly as good early. After back stiffness cost him Monday's game in Philadelphia, Billups came out and scored seven points in just over six minutes in the first quarter Wednesday.

Del Negro said he didn't consider holding either player out against the Rockets in order to save them for tonight's game with the Lakers.

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